Blackhole for Bad Bots vs Block Referers
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Blackhole for Bad Bots leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,026, ahead of Block Referers at #34,822. Over the last 7 days Blackhole for Bad Bots slipped 2 places and Block Referers climbed 12,077 places. Blackhole for Bad Bots has the largest install base, roughly 3000× the next: 30K+ active installs against 10+ for Block Referers. Downloads this week: Blackhole for Bad Bots 1,161 and Block Referers 17.
| Metric | Blackhole for Bad Bots | Block Referers |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,026 ▼ 2 | #34,822 ▲ 12077 |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 10+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,161 | 17 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (148) | no ratings |
| Last updated | Aug 21, 2026 | Apr 20, 2020 |
| Current version | 3.8.4 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #958 | #34,196 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2016 | Dec 2015 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Blackhole for Bad Bots or Block Referers?
By active installs, Blackhole for Bad Bots: 30K+ sites run it against 10+ for Block Referers, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Blackhole for Bad Bots or Block Referers?
Blackhole for Bad Bots, at #1,026 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Block Referers at #34,822. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Blackhole for Bad Bots or Block Referers alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.